Sunday 12 August 2007

Cognac Country

Fields of gold and Cognac vines, pretty villages, romantic architecture, the most friendliest people, even the Tour de France (making a return to the region after 20 years ) and of course BROCANTE .... 


The region is renowned for its Cognac and there are cognac vines as far as the eye can see not to mention beautiful sunflower fields too. The sunflower heads always straining to turn for the sun, there is always a little one facing the wrong way ..... aaahh bless.

Shall I take you on a little Tour?







I was really surprised to read that Angelina Jolie had visited this little village just before us. No doubt recommended as it was for us.It has a castle and a glorious chateau and the church has the most romantic architecture.Plus they have brocante markets there too! I will return!!

















Here's the house we stayed in, it's style is called Maison Bourgeois.










 













This house used to produce cognac and the huge barn still houses the cognac vats.
 





Do you want to take a peak inside ....?




































































































The front hall and the pool beyond, the kitchen, and salon were tres elegant.
The Master room was huge!








































 
Great furniture, loved the armoires and outside was just as good,

































 great pool (note the budding syncro swimmer:))













































A beautiful BBQ area and a wowey log pile ......practically an art piece.
Verdict ....... I LIKE!!!

We caught up with the Tour de France while we were here.
If you know much about it you will know that it started from London this year and travels through France, up mountains and all the way down to the the south of France back up to Paris. The cyclists can be on their bottoms for 8 hours without stopping.


Well we had to stand around in the hot sun for a couple of hours (which pales into insignificance really compared with what the cyclists have to endure).

Ya know how we all moan when the adverts come on TV for a few minutes well the start of the caravan ( the sponsors) presiding the tour is really like 2 hours of adverts going past at speed.
.... a bit like a parade or carnival at a very fast pace, only you have alsorts thrown at you, hats, bags, shower gel, key rings, paper ......... yes you scrabble for everything ...... the most reserved housewife will find her self scrabbling along the floor after every bit , yes even paper pleading for more ....... so unrefined :)))))) but fun!
Some of the sponsors.






















Oooo I could do with a nice cold drink!























 Take a LOOK Natasha The Australians are coming - they had kangaroos on top of their cars!!
Then finally what we had all been waiting for. The leaders of the pack - 15 mins ahead of the peleton. The white jersey in the middle won that day.















































Well that's all folks ;0) .........Did I forget something ........ OH YES.... !

BROCANTE!This is all the stuff I could manage, as you can see some great little lamps and a large frou frou one with sheer fabric -

And on closer inspection -Lots of scrap books with magazine scraps and art nouveau papers, even found a big roll of pink crepe paper.
























A large file of music and even handwritten musicFrench linen - 'Je t adore'






















I was after some old suspenders for my mixed media art and discovered loads in this box - well it all came together so I have 3 lovely pink corsets with their old pink suspenders, cotton stockings still in the packaging and loads of suspender spares still in the packaging.


































 




I love this old pin cushion doll from Limoge - but she needs some TLC.
 Loads of this lovely cherub fabric.



























 And last but not least my most favorite find. This chandelier with the palest pink drops in opaline glass.


































Well I hope you enjoyed the trip as much as we did.

19 comments:

Heather ~ Pretty Petals said...

Ginny...oh my goodness!!! Where do I start?????? The countryside is GORGEOUS!!! I am swooning over it all...and the house that you stayed is so amazing. I bet you felt like the luckiest girl in the world..I know I would!!! Funny about the "Australians coming with the kangaroos"....got such a chuckle out of that! lol

The treasures you bought were so so so so pretty!!!! I am loving that chandelier with those sweet pink drops...make sure to show us pictures when you get it in place!Love the fabric...the linens...the papers and those corsets...too cute!!! Everything is just so fabulous I could go on and on! Thank you for showing us a bit of fun!!!

xoxoxo Heather

Charmingdesigns said...

Wow! Love everything you found, where you stayed...wow. Thank you for sharing such wonderful photos. Love the lamp!Laurie

Sophie Honeysuckle said...

Your photos are FAB!!!! How about that house for a dream house!!! And, I love your little pink chandelier! It's like my french one I posted about a short while back! Those opaline drops are my favourite!! I'm glad you had such a lovely holiday!!!

Anonymous said...

Oh what can I say? Thank you for the virtual visit...what a beautiful place. I love that staircase, the room, the furnishings and those pretty lamps, linens....I could go on, but I think that I should stop now!

Marie x

Ragged Roses said...

Oh Ginny you've made me desperate to get back to france, we haven't been for a couple of years and I'm really missing it! Beautiful house, countryside and your finds are beautiful too!
Kim x

Vintage to Victorian said...

All those 'finds'. You clever girl! And what a fabulous place to stay.

We really must get our passports renewed. No more of this nonsense - I need to get to France, now!
Sue x

Lallee said...

That was so fun! The place you stayed in is fabulous! I loved the B&W floor in the foyer and the grand staircase. I really enjoyed all the pictures~next best thing to being there myself. The landscape is just dreamy~like in a movie. You came home with some wonderful treasures, too, which is always the icing on a nice trip.

Boxwood Cottage said...

Goodness gracious Ginny!
What a fabulous buch of vintage treasures you found! Congratulations! And I'm not jealous no no I'm not no no no not jealous at all no way (trying to persuade myself here ;-))
Lucky you! Hugs Carol xox

Anonymous said...

WOW!!!
first i want that house(castle).
your finds are fab. i need to go back and read it all again. nice.
jessi nagy

www.scrappyjessi.blogspot.com

Sea Angels said...

Wow, what a holiday...I'm suprised you could concentrate to photograph.....I want to go now! I just love the treasures, they were just icing on the cake.... yummy.
Thankyou too, for all the lovely comments you wrote on my blog, it made my day reading them, xx thankyou

Betty said...

Ginny! Oh my gosh!! What a beautiful place, a fun trip and the goodies you brought home are to die for!! I can't wait to see what you do with all!

Miss*Laurence said...

I'm all nostalgic now! I remember the tour, it's quite a parade, in the end the cyclists are only a small part of the commotion. lovely place, it has the dedicated gallic charm, I think it's the wood panels, floors and doors, I still can't be sure! Well next time you go, go to Burgundy...

Miss*Laurence said...

PS: for some reason with my browser the text on your post came out really huge. Is that intended?

Niki Fretwell said...

Hi Ginny,
I am so glad that you had what looks to be the perfect holiday!
What an amazing house to have stayed in and in such beautiful countryside. (We visited Cognac a few years ago and loved it.)

And be still my beating heart!! Your collection of antiques is amazing - you have a great eye!
I LOVE eveything! I hope that you will be able to rewire the chandelier OK and those adorable little lamps too. What fabulous momentos!

Niki x

FrenchGardenHouse said...

Lord, girl, you know how to make my personal heart beat faster!!!!

Thanks for visiting my blog, I entered your name in the give away...sigh. Gorgeous...the country, the place you stayed, the LOOT!!!!

I know your love for Pinkness. and that chandelier is going to be drop dead gorgeous in your darling home.

I feel like I went on a mini vacation myself, just looking at your photos. MERCI. (both in French, and English "mercy"!)
Lidy

Anonymous said...

GINNY!!!! Are you kidding me?!! I don't even know where to begin. I think I may be speechless...that's a big deal for me! Wow. Just wow.

Ele at abitofpinkheaven said...

wOW! Everything is just amazing. That would be my dream, to visit a place like that.

Laume said...

Great photos, great finds. My favorite is the wonderful old chandelier with the pink teardrops!

Susie Q said...

Oh how stunning it all is dear Ginny! Where do I begin??
I am sooooo envious! Oh how I want to go there...I just know you all felt so lucky to be in such a lovely place! I surely would have been so blissfully happy! : )

LOVE the treasures that came home with you! Ooh...the chandelier is too, too gorgeous! As is the fabric...what shall you make?

I am so glad your holiday was just so lovely.


And Ginny? I am so, so very sorry about your sweet kitty. We lost our Hannah kitty 5 years ago and I miss her still. She was 15 and my constant companion. But, when she left us, in came Kipper, then Lucy and now, Henry too. I guess life goes on. Still, the sweet memories remain. Our beloved pets never truly leave is. They stay in our hearts forever.

Hugs,
Sue